NSW unis drastically undermining own entry standards

NSW universities are accepting students with academic ranking far below par, potentially leading to a dramatic slide in professional standards and enormous debt in unpaid student loans.

Over half the students offered places at Macquarie and Western Sydney universities this year had ATAR (Australia tertiary Admissions Rank) scores below their own cut-off point, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Some of the applications accepted came from students with ATARs as low as 30 – some students with rankings as low as 46 have been accepted into Medical Science at Western Sydney University, while scores as low as 67 have landed some a place in UNSW's Bachelor of Combined Law, which purports to be cut-off at 99.7.

More than half the students accepted by Macquarie (64 per cent) and WSU (59 per cent) fall below the requirements; some students posted ATARs 40 points lower than the cut-off figures.

"I'm annoyed that universities are taking students with such low marks out of self-respect for their own university," NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"For universities that are concerned about their rankings internationally to be taking in students with such low ATARs is not a good look. I know they have funding pressures, but that is no excuse."

The majority of degrees are funded by government student loans, usually to the tune of $20,000 or more, which are expected to be paid back once the graduate earns better than $54,000.

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Though the apparent decline in standards come four years after a cap limiting the amount of students unis could accept was lifted, federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham says there is no plan to revert to any kind of restriction.

"Universities must take responsibility for those students they choose to enrol and ensure they have the capabilities and support to succeed," Mr Birmingham told the Herald.